Sabotage Leaves Haitian City of Gonaives Without Municipal Water | La ville des Gonaïves sevrée par l’Orepa: Trois mois sans eau courante

By Mergenat Exalus, AlterPresse | Commentary and translation by Dady Chery, Haiti Chery. The city of Gonaives, Haiti, has been without water since a sabotage of three water pumping stations three months ago. The forced dependence of the Haitian population on bottled water, not inspected by local health authorities, poses a grave danger. (English | French)

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Former President Aristide’s New Book: Philosophical Reflections for Mental Decolonization | Nouveau livre par l’ancien President Aristide: Poésies philosophiques pour la décolonisation mentale

By Staff, AHP | Translation by Dady Chery, Haiti Chery. Just out in Haitian bookstores: a new book by former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide titled “Pwezi filosofik pou dekolonizasyon mantal” (Publisher: Henri Deschamps, 2012). It is the Creole version of “Philosophical Reflections for Mental Decolonization” (Publisher: Paradigm Press, 2011). (English | French)

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Are Stealth Oral Cholera Vaccines in Haiti’s Recently ‘Expanded Program of Immunization’? | Les vaccins anticholériques oraux furtifs: sont-ils dans le ‘programme élargi de vaccination’?

By Aline Sainsoivil, Le Matin | Commentary and translation by Dady Chery, Haiti Chery. Haiti’s Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) presented a plan to strengthen its Expanded Program of Immunization (EPI) at a meeting on Monday, March 12, 2012 with UN organizations UNICEF, PAHO, and WHO. Might this strengthened EPI involve the administration of oral cholera vaccines? (English | French)

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Constitution of the Republic of Haiti, 1987 | Constitution de la République d’Haïti, 1987

By National Constituent Assembly of Haiti, March 10, 1987. The Haitian people proclaim this constitution to ensure their inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, in conformity with the Act of Independence of 1804 and the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Man of 1948. (French | English)

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Student from School of Anthropology Wins Freedom From Haitian National Penitentiary By Hunger Strike | Grève de la faim d’un étudiant de la faculté d’éthnologie au pénitencier national

By Hilaire Yvince, Le Nouvelliste | Commentary and translation by Dady Chery, Haiti Chery. Psychology major Jaksy Fritzbert, from the School of Anthropology and a father of two, began a hunger strike on Mar 6, 2012 to protest his incarceration in Haiti’s National Penitentiary since February 24. The students say that this was a political arrest to intimidate them after they refused to allow Martelly and a group of armed men into an international symposium. (English | French)

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Haiti’s Secretaries of State Not Haitian, Including One Implicated In Dismissal of Mayors | Plusieurs secrétaires d’Etat ne sont pas Haïtiens, y compris celui accusé du licensement des maires

By staff (jep kft), AlterPresse | English translation by Dady Chery, Haiti Chery. Several secretaries in Michel Martelly’s cabinet have a foreign nationality. Secretary of State for the Interior Georges Racine was discovered to be a U.S. citizen; the Secretary of State for Culture and Heritage was discovered to be Spanish, and the Secretary of State for Higher Education was found to be Canadian. The citizenships of Michel Martelly himself and his latest PM designate Laurent Lamothe are also under investigation. (English | French)

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Common Caribbean Strategies Needed Against Climate Change | Besoin de stratégies communes des Caraïbes contre le changement climatique

Interview of Cuban climate expert Ramón Pichs by Patricia Grogg. Pichs warns that the environmental vulnerability of Caribbean countries is aggravated by the fragility of their economies. ALBA initiatives are underway to improve the response to climate change phenomena and take measures to protect areas such as agriculture and coastlines. These and national efforts will be complemented by inputs from organizations like Caricom and CELAC. (English | French)

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Three Poems By Rene Depestre | Trois poèmes de René Depestre

By Rene Depestre. The Poet, The Final Degree of Exile, Consciences in Bloom: three offerings from the poetry collection In a State of Poetry (En Etat de Poesie, Les Editeurs Francais Reunis, Paris, 1980). (French, with English | French bio)

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France Promises Aid for New ‘Haitian’ Army | Haïti-Armée: La France promet son appui

By L. Joseph Olivier, HPN | English translation by Dady Chery, Haiti Chery. “…the UN force will not be in Haiti forever, and so we look to our partners for a guarantee of public assistance for the design and formation of a new force.” – Haitian Foreign Affairs Minister Laurent Lamothe during the announcement in Paris on Jan 24, 2012 that France had agreed to grant aid to Haiti for a new armed force.

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The Underside of International Adoption in Haiti | Les dessous de l’adoption internationale en Haïti

Amos Cincir, Le Nouvelliste | Staff, HPN | Commentary and translation by Dady Chery, Haiti Chery. Over 2,000 Haitian children are adopted each year by foreigners, over 55 percent of them French. This is an activity fraught with scandal. The Haitian government has announced that it will resume international adoptions that had been frozen since the earthquake.

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Poem From My Mother | Poème de ma mère

“Le baiser d’une mère” | Commentary by Dady Chery, Haiti Chery. Before I could speak or even breathe, my mother, with a broad smile, read this poem to me. I copy it here from a version she wrote from memory. Based on the style, some of the phrases, and her fondness for Oswald Durand, I think it is his. (French | English)

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Sustainable Artisanal Fishing Could Boost Economy of Haiti’s South East | La pêche est l’avenir de Marigot

By Joachim Dieudonne, Le Nouvelliste | Commentary and translation by Dady Chery, Haiti Chery. Artisanal fishing could be an almost inexhaustible wealth for the fishermen of southeast Haiti, but they feel unappreciated and complain of a lack of credit.

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Magistrate Baltasar Garzon Sentenced to 11 Years of Disbarment by Partisan Spanish Court | Garzón dice adiós a la carrera judicial al ser condenado a 11 años de inhabilitación

By José Yoldi and Julio M. Lázaro, El Pais | Translated by Dady Chery, Haiti Chery | Wikipedia. As people protested outside the Criminal Chamber of the National Court in Spain, a group of partisan judges allied to Spain’s ruling conservative Partido Popular (PP) unanimously condemned Judge Baltasar Garzón to 11 years of disbarment for ordering the recording of conversations of the ringleaders of the corrupt Gürtel group connected to the PP.

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Total Withdrawal of Brazilian UN Occupation Troops Most Wanted from Rousseff

By Staff, AlterPresse | Commentary and translation by Dady Chery, Haiti Chery. Brazilian President Dilma Roussef visited Haiti for a few hours on Feb 1, 2012. She failed to deliver what she could easily have given and what Haitians wanted most: the withdrawal of the Brazilian MINUSTAH occupation troops. (English | French)

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